


Somebody Once Told Me

by tmo



Series: The Princess and The Cyclops [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Curses, Inspired by Shrek (Movies), KakaIru Mini Bang 2020, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24610996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmo/pseuds/tmo
Summary: the world is gonna roll meI ain't the sharpest tool in the shedShe was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumbIn the shape of an "L" on her forehead
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: The Princess and The Cyclops [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2130648
Comments: 20
Kudos: 82
Collections: KakaIru Mini Bang 2020





	1. Once Upon A Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes this is a fic inspired by Shrek.  
> A Shrek AU.  
> I've peaked.

_“Once upon a time, there lived a family so royal and fair_

_There was a mother and a father and a daughter of long hair_

_But each night, from when the sunset until the early morn_

_An enchantment plagued her from the day she was born_

_So her parents sent her away without a word more_

_Locked in a tower with a guardian at the door_

_Lonely, she waits for her true love’s kiss_

_To free her from this spell and live the rest of her life in bliss_

_But every knight who dare venture there would only meet remiss_

_And that is the tale of the hopeful princess.”_

“You’re reading it like a snail.”

Kakashi looked up from the book nestle in his large hands and set a frown on his travelling companion.

The bright orange fox immediately grinned sheepishly, hopping off Kakashi’s lap and scurrying away towards another tree as he called through laughter, “Or maybe the story is just boring!”

“The story isn’t boring, Naruto.” Kakashi defended, knowing he wasn’t the best at reading aloud. He was a cyclops, it was a wonder he could read at all. Of course, that was according to all the other creatures he’d talked to. He hadn’t seen another cyclops in years so he had little prior experience. The price of a dying breed.

“Well, if we keep reading, I’ll fall back asleep!” The talking fox bounced eagerly ahead as the tall humanoid pulled himself to his feet, careful not to hit his head on the tree branches above.

Into the Common Wood they walked, the light of the setting sun showing them the way through towards their destination. Neither of them had been to Whiteward Castle though and they were both thoroughly terrified by what lay ahead.

Kakashi because he would be a cyclops walking civilly among humans for the first time. His kind didn't exactly have the best reputation for being well-liked by other kinds of folk since there were many, many legends of them killing, torturing and eating creatures including humans.

Naruto because... Well, he was a talking fox. A talking fox who liked to do the talking part a lot. Not exactly the most conspicuous.

A strange duo, they were especially since they had only just met recently.

"What do you think Lord Noodle will look like?" Naruto called behind him to Kakashi.

"Probably not a noodle," Kakashi mused, hunched so the trees didn't whack him in the face. The Common Wood sure had short trees.

Naruto hummed sadly, “Well, that’ll be a big disappointment. Talk about false advertising.”

“Maybe. If that’s really his name.” Kakashi chuckled and followed as Naruto sniffed out their path towards Whiteward Castle, home to Lord Noodle.

In truth, the Lord’s name was probably not Noodle. It had been a little hard to focus on names though when Kakashi’s tiny home had been invaded by tons of other mythfolk, including a sprightly fox who insisted on helping him get back his home. The soldiers who were at the edge of his property had been so uncertain and quiet when they saw Kakashi's towering form that they'd been too quiet for Kakashi to hear properly. He'd only heard from Naruto later on that his name sounded like a noodle.

Whatever his name was, this Lord was going to have to deal with Kakashi in person because he wasn't about to let masses of creatures stay on his land because a so-called 'lord' forced them off their own land and onto Kakashi's. 

And for what? An arena for games.

It was the stupidest idea Kakashi had ever heard. What? They were going to play cards with thousands of people? Insanity.

Regardless, Kakashi's warm and solitary home was no longer a haven for his introverted mind. It was filled with fairies, dwarves, and an abundance of talking animals. The problem was that all of them wanted their homes back, but they were small, docile creatures who couldn't stand up for themselves. It kind of was insulting that they immediately ran to his home because they thought he was big and scary.

Like, they weren’t wrong.

The truth still hurt though.

“Hey! Kakashi!” Naruto called from up ahead where the trees thinned out. “I think I see a town!”

Following that excitedly flicking tail, Kakashi suddenly felt more anxious than ever. This was it, he had to face hoards of humans. 

They would probably yell and run away like they always did.

They didn’t do that though because, to his surprise, there were zero humans in the city at all.

Zero, like the number of humans who visited him for casual tea sessions.

As they strode in through the unguarded main gates, Kakashi wondered if there were supposed to be knights at the front door. He didn’t know much about castles and humans, but he had read a lot of stories about kingdoms and people. Streets like these weren’t usually empty during the day. Even the tiny storefronts were closed. 

“Hello!” Naruto called down the street, his voice echoing with no response. “Anyone there?”

As the fox trotted over to a storefront of dressed in monochromatic colour schemes, Kakashi kept his guard up and waited, listening for anything.

His attentive ears heard the whisperings of loud people somewhere deep within the town. With a snap of his fingers at Naruto, he started in the direction of where they were coming from. “This way, kid.”

Minutes later, they were standing at the heavy doors of the castle, the loud cheers of many people coming from just inside.

“That sounds like a lot of people,” Naruto commented as he sniffed the crack in the doors.

“Yeah,” Kakashi agreed sadly. He didn’t do well with other people, much less hoards of people. How was he supposed to negotiate for his land now? He couldn’t intimidate more than a handful at once. He was a scary cyclops, not a miracle worker.

“Well, let’s go turn up the charm!” 

Before Kakashi could say anything, Naruto pressed his face into the door and wiggled his way through the opening.

“Naruto!” Kakashi hissed and desperately tried to catch the fox’s tail but the slippery kid was passed his reach. 

And then his height betrayed him. Crouched down, arm stretched out, he couldn’t right himself fast enough and went crashing into the doors. Falling onto his face, the doors flew open and every sound stopped except the thundering of his heart.

Daring a glance up, he found that he’d stumbled into a giant courtyard filled with people. And every single human in there was staring at him. 

Slowly standing, Kakashi brushed off his tunic awkwardly and met the piercing gaze of the man who was probably the noodle lord they were looking for. Well, it was a soft probably. He was in rich, purple clothes and standing on a stage high above all the people looking up at him. There were also a handful of menacing but dumbfounded guards standing around his lordship.

Somewhere in the shadows to Kakashi’s left, the boy-fox whispered, “You could say all eyes are on you.”

Before Kakashi’s one eye could twitch, the man on the towering stage looked across his mass of subjects to the eight-foot-tall humanoid with one eye who had disrespected him and called out to everyone in annoyance, “As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted…”

The guards started down the platform and the crowd parted to show Kakashi a line up of humans in shining armour and colourful crests; knights. “Oh, no.”

“Oh no,” Naruto parroted unhelpfully as he zipped out the open door.

His golden circlet shining in the distance, the lord flicked his dark hair back again and his voice called across the empty path between him and Kakashi, “Your first challenge as competitors: a cyclops!”

All eyes turned to Kakashi again, including the knights.

And then, all at once, the various array of knights charged at him, screaming their lungs out and sprinting as if they were being charged by a cavalry of knights. 

Oh, wait, that was Kakashi. 

And did Kakashi scream? He would like to say he didn’t. Well, he couldn’t exactly remember if he did or not because he blinked and suddenly he was surrounded by piles of unmoving, supposed knights. They looked like they’d been thrown down a mountainside and left to recover at the bottom. Hopefully, they weren’t dead.

Legs and arms hurting, Kakashi looked up from their bodies and saw that everyone was looking at him. The humans were shocked, Naruto was sparkling from excitement and on the other side of the courtyard the lord was darkly staring Kakashi down.

Then there was just silence. Flexing his hands, Kakashi knew this was his time to speak but he was afraid. 

Thinking back to his lovely home, the place where the truly wanted to go back to and to hide away in, he found a small sliver of courage and stepped forward. Over the groaning knights, the cyclops took the first steps towards the stage.

When he got close enough, the lord looked down at him. He didn’t have to look down too far since the stage was about twelve feet tall and Kakashi was an even ten. With the way the lord was glowering at him, Kakashi felt like he was a lot shorter.

“Well?” The lord abruptly asked.

“Ah, good evening, lord…” Kakashi fumbled for a name he didn’t have.

“Lord Noodle!” Naruto shouted from just behind Kakashi and a few people in the crowd snickered.

“If you’re looking for a Lord Noodle, you’ve come to the wrong place,” the human countered and started. Before he spun around, he quickly quipped, “I am Lord Genma Shiranui and I don’t have time for your disrespectful behaviour.”

“Lord Shiranui,” Kakashi called before the man could leave and Genma stopped short, showing a hint of fear at the cyclop’s call. “Forgive my companion for his insolence. I am Kakashi of the Enchanted Forest.”

Lord Genma scoffed and Kakashi couldn’t help but be taken aback for a second before he continued, “And… I come demanding you give back the land you stole.”

“Stole?” Lord Genma seemed genuinely confused by that and frowned at Kakashi. “I did not steal any land, cyclops.”

“You have and I can prove it by the hundreds of mythfolk on my land,” Kakashi explained, starting to feel frustrated and it seemed like Genma could tell by the way the lord flinched.

There was a long, heavy pause before Lord Genma’s lips turned up into a charming but cunning smile. Kakashi had to hand it to this human. He was very handsome and very intimidating as he strode forward with intention and held Kakashi’s gaze. “Well, in that case, I’ll leave the entire Enchanted Forest alone.”

“Woo!” Naruto called from behind but Kakashi wasn’t fooled. It was too easy.

Eyes narrowed, he asked, “But?”

“Since you’ve eliminated all my knights, you can be my knight.” Lord Genma smiled, his circlet shining on his dark, silky hair.

“And… what does that entail?” Kakashi asked hesitantly. 

“As my knight, I issue you a quest.” And Kakashi felt his heart sink as Lord Genma stared down at him happily. “Fetch me a princess.”

* * *

“I told you his name was noodle.”

“Shiranui.”

“Close enough. Say, why can’t we just get any old princess?” Naruto was asking as they trudged back the way they’d come, through the vast fields of wheat that surrounded Lord Shiranui’s kingdom. “What’s so special about this princess?” 

“Good question,” Kakashi grunted, leading the way through the tall stalks since he could see above them.

“Do you think he has a thing for girls locked away in towers?” 

“Probably so he doesn’t have to deal with their fathers,” Kakashi commented off his cuff and pulled up the map they’d been given. Far West there was a dragon guarded castle where a princess was waiting to be saved. Apparently, his lordship wanted this princess in particular and hadn’t been open to suggestion when Naruto brought up a few other princesses he apparently knew. Which was understandable considering most of the ones Naruto suggested were far too young for Lord Genma.

“How do you know so many princesses?” Kakashi asked as they continued on into the forests. 

“Well, I used to hang out a few kingdoms over with this one girl who grew flowers,” Naruto explained happily. “Her dad was apparently a knight who went to help his king and he came back with a crown after the king died.”

“So, how do you know more than just her?” 

“She had a lot of sleepovers.”

“Ah.”

That night they made a fire deep into the Common Wood and when Kakashi pulled out his Fables and the Fantastic book once again, Naruto curled up expectantly next to Kakashi. After a moment of hesitation, Kakashi set to reading aloud another story like Naruto had persuaded him into the night before. 

“Once upon a time, a poor woodcutter and his wife had two children and a perfect life,” Kakashi read, trying to not sounds like a snail this time. “But when food became scarce and life turned tough. The two children were left in the woods without their mother, father or any of their stuff.”

“Oh, this is getting good,” Naruto said despite his giant yawn.

“After walking for days, they come upon a house of breads and cakes,” Kakashi said, but he looked over to find Naruto had fallen back asleep. It was only the next night that they continued on with the story, this time in a cave through a mountain range. “A witch comes out and invites them inside where she feeds them despite their unease. Day after day, the children eat in return for cleaning and chores. Then one day the witch asks for the girl to clean the oven on all fours.”

“Sorry, I fell asleep again,” Naruto muttered through yawns as they kept walking the next day and Kakashi could only chuckle.

“Want me to read the last part to you now?” Kakashi asked as he picked up the boy and plopped Naruto on his shoulder, seeing the happy, wobbly grin on the little fox’s face. Pulling out the book and starting off across the grassy plains, Kakashi continued on, “Pretending not to know what the woman meant, the girl watched the witch demonstrate, knowing her true intent. So, as the witch climbed in, the girl latched the pin and the witch burned to ashes. And so the children went home with the witch’s stashes.”

“Wow…” Naruto whispered and Kakashi couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling oddly fond towards his silly new friend. Huh, Kakashi hadn’t had a friend in a long time. He couldn’t really remember the last friend he’d had.

As they continued on, the sun began to set and Kakashi suggested they sleep for the night but Naruto wouldn’t let them. The boy urged, “Just a little further! Please?”

“Why?” Kakashi asked but the fox was too busy scurrying ahead, sniffing the air as he hopped over rocks and bluffs. When Naruto didn’t answer, Kakashi pushed. “Naruto.”

Then Naruto stopped in his tracks, looking back at Kakashi with his bright blue eyes sparkling with a cunning that surprised Kakashi. The usually eager and goofy fox looked up at him with a steady gaze that felt much more mature than his twelve years. “Just trust me.”

And again, Kakashi went out of his comfort zone. Through the trees and up the side of a mountain, Kakashi followed his new friend until they reached it’s peak and looked down at their destination. As the skies above began to turn a dark purple, the dark, crumbling remains of the castle below loomed like a terrible omen of all the dark, horrible things inside that were kept at bay by a moat of boiling lava. 

“That… looks-”

“Awesome,” Naruto butted in, face bright with a grin while Kakashi’s was pale with shock and fear.

“No, awesome was not the word I was going to use… Naruto!” While Kakashi was complaining, a bolt of orange dashed down the slop and Kakashi didn’t know what to do. A second of fumbling later, the cyclops hurried down the mountainside to where Naruto was weaving through rocks and shrubs. “You can’t just run in there!”

“I’ve got two legs, don’t I?” Naruto called back.

“I think you’ve got two more than that.” Kakashi snipped back, trying to catch up to his fearless companion.

“Perfect! Twice the speed!” 

Kakashi wasn’t even going to fight with that logic. Instead, he worried about the heat coming from up ahead and the sharp peaks of the remaining towers. In one of those, they would find the princess and then they’d be on their way home. That was what Kakashi kept telling himself but then there was the thought of dragons and Kakashi started thinking that two-hundred and sixty-one roommates wouldn’t be that bad. 

Then he thought about actually having two-hundred and sixty-one roommates and kept walking. Between having personal space and a fiery death, the very introverted cyclops would rather die. That seemed like an honourable death.

“Wow,” They both murmured as the glow of the lava hit their faces, looking over the ledge to see the bubbling fires below and the blackened tower of uneven stone that the castle rested upon. 

And between there and where Naruto and Kakashi were standing, there was a thin, skeleton of a rope and wood bridge. And the dwarves could have their own little tree apartment above Kakashi. They were small. They wouldn’t make much noise.

“You know,” Kakashi started, edging back. “I can just find another home. I totally don’t need to live in the place I’ve lived in for as long as I can remember.”

“Is that a sword?” Naruto gasped and Kakashi looked up to find the fox was already halfway across the bridge.

“Naruto!” Kakashi hissed, immediately stepping onto the bridge without thinking. 

The whole thing swung sharply, creaking so loud it could have woken up twenty dragons. 

He and Naruto both paused.

After a long, nervous minute, it stopped swinging. 

“Hey!” Naruto grinned. “We’re not boiling!”

As they swung lightly over the pit of hell, Kakashi honestly couldn’t tell if the boy was pretending to be playfully dumb or didn’t know how lava worked.

“Come on, big guy!” Naruto called from the other side and Kakashi wondered if talking animals could also teleport. It wasn’t a long shot but the bridge certainly was.

Taking a shaky step forward, Kakashi edged his way across. Step by step, he kept his eyes up and on the happy little blob of orange hope in the distance. Somehow, he took the last step onto solid ground and let out a gasp of fresh sulfuric air. 

While Kakashi was gasping and panting from the stress, Naruto brushed up against him supportively and cheered, “I thought you were gonna pass out, but you made it!”

“Thanks,” Kakashi muttered and they straightened up to stare through the arch above their heads to the castle’s skewed doors and the dark, looming shadows that lurked within. “Guess this is the part where we find the princess.”

“And fight a dragon!” 

“Correction: avoid the dragon.” 

As Naruto pouted, Kakashi took the first step towards the castle, across the fragments of stone that led into the castle’s shadows. 

“Why do you think this place was abandoned?” Naruto asked as they approached the front door.

“Well, it might have been from all the fighting. Kings and Lords claiming fighting each other,” Kakashi said off the top of his head. “They destroy each other and then make new homes pretty often.” 

“Oh,” Naruto whispered as they got to the front doors and poked their heads in. The sun had set. The sky was going dark quickly and the only light came from the lava. As they looked inside, they could only see the edges of walls and rubble with scatterings of light from the holes above. 

“Stay close and keep your eyes open for stairs,” Kakashi said and fitted his tall body through the doors. Naruto followed close after him and they carefully picked their way through what must have been a main hall, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of dragons. Through another set of doors, they searched the halls for any paths that led upwards. They passed rooms with high ceilings and walls crumbling into other rooms, but there was no sign until they travelled deeper in. 

An open doorway up ahead shone with light, leading them to what used to be a large ballroom with the ceiling completely ripped away. Instead of a floor, they came upon a sea of shining metals and white wood. 

“Whoa.” Naruto snuck further into the room to get a closer look at a shining piece of silver in the mass of ruins, but Kakashi hung back, staring up into the sky to try and spot which tower the princess might be in. 

Oddly enough, Kakashi couldn’t see a tower that was lit and stepped in just enough to get a better angle at the one just behind them, but there was no light coming from that one either. 

A sick snap under his boot made Kakashi shivered, a horrible feeling creeping up his spine that he knew that sound. 

“Kakashi!” Naruto whispered excitedly. “Look, there’s a shield in here!”

Looking down, it didn’t take Kakashi long to realize that it wasn’t white wood under their feet nor stone. 

When Kakashi looked up again, he looked across the bodies to where Naruto was sniffing around and caught the shifting in the darkness of the doorway across the room, the doorway that was much larger than the one Kakashi was standing under. Quickly taking the step back out, Kakashi couldn’t speak as he watched the shifting mass of black, glimmering scared snapped one red eye open. Then another. 

Naruto decided at that moment to gasp, “Oh my god! There’s a skull in this helmet!”

And the dragon stretched a long, powerful arm out of its hole, extending its sharp claws into the piles of bones to Naruto’s surprise. The other arm followed and it slid out like a horrifying cat, it’s wings stretching out at either side in a display of terrifying power.

“You’re….A….” Naruto’s voice echoed dumbfoundedly and Kakashi didn’t know what to do either. Burning eyes narrowed in on Naruto, nostrils flaring. An eerie purple glow pulsed from the dragon’s mouth as is breathed in, the wickedly hot fire within it suddenly building. 

Kakashi almost stepped out into the open, to do something, to save Naruto. 

But he was too slow.

Instead, a flash of crimson shot out across the moonlit bones. In a fluid, beautiful motion, this stranger swooped in for the shield and covered him and the fox just as the beast reared his head. A blast of purple-tinged fire shot out, sweeping the entire boneyard in a wave of unbearable heat. Ducking back into the hall, Kakashi felt the flames even lick his back but when it went cold, he quickly swept back into the doorway.

Kakashi just caught sight of a bone whipping out, right into the dragon’s mouth and it doubled over, coughing and sputtering.

“Run!” the stranger was yelling, he and Naruto sprinting towards Kakashi. In that split second, before they reached him, Kakashi caught sight of the human who had saved his friend and everything fell away.

He was gorgeous. Utterly, horribly gorgeous. Covered in sweat, flushed and frantic, this dark-haired human ran towards Kakashi with the white shirt under his short, crimson cape half-open to reveal slick, tan skin. With a flick of his long hair, the beautiful man slid into the hallway where Kakashi was frozen stiff and their eyes met in a shower of sparks. 

Mystery man’s eyes were breathtaking, glinting with surprise in the fire like molten copper under those dark lashes. And he saw Kakashi, actually saw him and looked him in the eyes. It was like Kakashi was real again for the first time in a long time. He wasn’t a monster.

Then those eyes got angry. “Are you deaf? I said run!”

With a jolt, Kakashi did just that because the dragon roared like mountains were falling and it shook the entire castle under their feet. Everything was happening so quickly that Kakashi forgot why they’d come here. 

With a leap of his heart, he paused at the main gates, the rope bridge swinging up ahead as Naruto and the stranger faltered in front of him, looking back in confusion. 

“We have to get the princess!” Kakashi called. 

Flaring with that same anger, the mystery man shouted back, “You’re crazy!”

Surrounded by skeletons of fallen knights and their shells of armour and weapons, Kakashi’s heart sank out of his body. But he didn’t have time to mourn this news. The castle shook with another roar of the approaching dragon and Kakashi instinctively grabbed a hilt sticking out of a pile of remains at his side. The blade light in his giant hand, Kakashi didn’t give it a second thought and followed his instinct. He had to save the princess. Save her and he got his home back. 

That was his quest.

Before the fire in his veins could burn out, Kakashi motioned to the stunning man. “Give me the shield.”

“What?” That confused, dirty face look so cute.

Ignoring the fluttering in his heart, Kakashi hurried over and pulled it off the human’s arm without any resistance.

“What are you doing?” The dark beauty demanded.

“I don’t know,” Kakashi said right back and headed back into the castle.

“Kakashi!” Naruto called after him but Kakashi was already inside, staring down the moonlit spotted hall to where the dragon crashed out. 

It paused only a moment to flash its chilling stare at Kakashi before letting out another blast of fire that shot at Kakashi’s face. It would’ve covered him and burned him to ash if he hadn’t ducked behind a pile of rubble. 

Rumbling told Kakashi that the dragon was running right at him and he sprinted across the room, skirting around a pillar as the dragon came down on his hidey spot and sprinting back down the hall, further into the castle.

When he turned back and took a stance, the dragon was lifting itself from the dust. It faced Kakashi head-on, staring at this big humanoid who was standing in the moonlight, in the middle of the grand hall without hesitation. Then it charged. 

Kakashi gasped and brought the shield up just enough to cover his face as flames flickered over him but he didn’t have time to worry about it. He had to roll out of the way of the beast barrelling towards him. He was barely on his feet again when deadly fangs snapped at him, bouncing off the shield but giving Kakashi space to swing his weapon. To his surprise, he actually hit it. The blade sliced up the side of its jaw, sending scales flying and they both jumped away in surprise. 

"Holy sh-"

Kakashi dove out of the charging dragon's way and it burst through one of the columns, stone and dust kicking up into the air. A second later, Kakashi felt the air shift above his head. The black, spiked tail crashed into another column and Kakashi scrambled away as bits of ceiling fell around him, the whole castle rumbling in the chaos. The third swing was claws, Kakashi narrowly avoiding them with a roll but that only made the beast shriek in anger. 

As Kakashi got back to his feet, his height betrayed him. If he would have been shorter, a few feet smaller, the jaws that clamped around his arm would have hit air. But they didn't.

Surging forward, it’s jaw snapped down hard over Kakashi’s entire arm, sword and all and it swung Kakashi at a wall, almost ripping out his arm.

The pain was so intense Kakashi blacked out. He didn’t see anything until he was on the ground. 

Out of the corner of his eye, the dragon reeled back and coughed hot breaths. Struggling to his feet, Kakashi caught sight of purple blood splattering out and how it looked just like the blood covering the sword Kakashi still gripped against all sense. 

A second later, another column fell. Then another and another. That was when Kakashi ran, sprinting out the way they'd come just as the whole castle collapsed behind him in a shaking quake of dust and walls. 

Running at full force, Kakashi called to the two figures waiting by the bridge, "What are you doing?! Run!"

"Good idea!" Naruto quipped as a roar dragged through the air along with the rumbling of castle pieces falling apart. The stranger they'd just met had the good sense to seep Naruto up and run, Kakashi hot on his heels.

The bridge shook under their feet. Each hurried stride towards freedom groaned and creaked and Kakashi hoped with every fibre of his being that it stayed up. It lasted this many years, it could hopefully last a few more seconds, a few more steps. 

Suddenly, they were on the other side. The fresh air hit their faces but that didn’t stop them. The dragon’s vengeful roaring spurred them on even to the top of the mountains that looked down upon the crumbling castle. It was only when they were up there that they stopped, chests heaving and dirty beyond belief but safe as they looked down on the castle that was slowly falling in on itself. 

The loud roaring had stopped. There were no flashes of scales. There was only the distant crashing of bricks as the tallest tower fell into the rumble, as did the realization upon Kakashi’s shoulders. 

“We’re alive! Woo! Take that, you giant lizard!” As Naruto yipped and jumped to the ground, Kakashi simply stared in horror at the fog of dust below. “You were so cool, Kakashi! I can't believe you faced a dragon! Like a knight in shining armour!”

“The princess,” was all Kakashi could muster and Naruto’s furry face fell just as quick. 

“Oh no…”

“We didn’t save the princess,” Kakashi finally fully said, the words falling hard on their shoulders.

“Well… she could still be alive…” Naruto said hopefully right before the entire castle started to sink before their very eyes into the bubbling lava, burning away any bit of hope. Naruto managed to say softly, “Yeah, definitely not after that. What are we going to say to Lord Noodle?”

At that moment, Kakashi had an idea. They hadn’t been alone during all of this. They had a witness. Technically, they hadn’t failed this quest. They’d been disqualified.

Kakashi slowly turned to their new friend, the one with beautiful dark hair, red cape and very quiet footsteps who was already halfway down the hill. 

“Hey!” Kakashi called and the stranger paused, looking over his shoulder in slight fear. “What’s your name?”

“Uh…” The human hesitated, glancing around himself in a way that was oddly suspicious. “Iruka.”

Kakashi began to step forward, noting the way Iruka took a cautious step back. That was when he noticed the bag on the stranger’s back. It dawned on him that this man should have had no business in a dragon-guarded castle. “So… mind telling me why you were in that super-dangerous castle?”

The question left them all silent. Even Naruto was watching with suspicious eyes, staring down at the man who gripped the straps of his bag tightly.

And then promptly ran away.

Kakashi was all too fast though. Within seconds, Kakashi was already a few feet away and Iruka was thrown onto his face with a yelp.

“Why were you in there?” Kakashi demanded, the squirming human trying to wiggle away. Kakashi didn’t need an answer though, he was already pulling open Iruka’s bag despite the calls to stop.

“That’s not yours!” Iruka managed.

Pushing aside papers and books, Kakashi's theory only solidified itself as he dug to the bottom and found something that definitely didn't belong to this sweaty but kind of cute man. As Kakashi pulled out a shining golden circlet, he said softly, “You’re… a thief.”

Iruka stopped moving, going still with the realization that he’d been caught and Kakashi flipped him over quickly, demanding, “Where was this? Where did you find it?”

“In the tower,” Iruka quickly said, face burning and eyes wide with fear. Kakashi’s uncontrollable awe at how cute he kind of looked was replaced with hope. 

“Did you see her? Was she in there?” Kakashi demanded, large hands clutching the white shirt.

“Who?” Iruka asked faintly, in fake innocence.

“The princess.”

“No, no, I didn’t. She got saved." Iruka rushed out, flinching away from the hands that were losing their grip. 

Slowly letting the man go in surprise, Kakashi looked to Naruto who was trotting over.

“She’s not dead then!” Naruto grinned, eagerly bouncing from side to side. “We still have a chance!”

“Hey, now you can go find her.” Iruka slyly provided from under Kakashi’s grip. 

It was great news. There was just one matter to deal with.

“We wouldn’t even know the first place to look,” Kakashi said and Naruto simply shrugged.

“I don’t know. Ask the guy who just stole the princess’s crown.” 

They both turned on Iruka who frowned. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m just a thief.”

Kakashi squinted down at Iruka, studying the young man intently until Iruka looked away. A telltale sign of someone lying. Kakashi had a funny feeling about this man. Sure, he was cute. But he was also a thief.

“You know who saved her?"

Iruka pursed his lips and said matter-of-factly, “I do not.”

But there was a twitch in his eye.

“Liar. Tell me.” Kakashi pulled Iruka up by his shirt for emphasis and got exactly what he wanted.

“I don’t know!” Iruka whined, flinching away from Kakashi even more. “Ask the knight in shining armour!”

“Well,” Naruto said after a long pause. “Guess that means we finished our quest.”

Kakashi went back to his original plan and stood, pulling Iruka up along with him. “Guess we did. He’s not going to give back the land without proof though.”

At that statement and the way Kakashi looked down at Iruka with a strained smile, Iruka’s eyes went wide. “No. Heck, no. I’m not going anywhere with you-Ah!”

Kakashi swung the human easily over his shoulder and set to walking as Iruka writhed on his shoulder. Kakashi actually found the futile attempt kind of cute and Naruto trotted along beside him as they headed into the forest.

All the way, the load on Kakashi’s shoulder called, “Let me go! You can’t do this! I have rights, you know! This is kidnapping!”

“You’re not even a kid!” Naruto laughed as they went along through the trees and eventually the struggling stopped. The yelling stopped too and they were all left with the sound of crickets in the night and the crunch of grass.


	2. There Was A Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Shiranui sounds like 'nouille' which means noodle in French heh  
> btw, go check out all the amazing works in the rest of the Mini Bang!  
> Or keep an eye out for a piece I've putting up tomorrow inspired by Canadian history and urban legends~

They made it a good way into the forest before Naruto started to lag behind. Kakashi was starting to feel tired too but the human on his shoulder was wide awake. He wasn’t yelling anymore but he was starting to ask questions. He was a curious human in more ways than one. 

“Aren't like… knights and princes supposed to be the ones saving princesses?” He asked pointedly over Kakashi’s shoulder. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in his voice.

Kakashi sighed. “Usually, I guess.”

He felt Iruka’s humming on his shoulder. “So, what makes you special?”

The way that question was phrased made Kakashi’s heart kind of flutter. It hadn’t been said in a mean way. It had sounded kind of… nice? Well, it was kind of nice but there was a twist to it, something Kakashi couldn't put a finger on.

"I'm trying to get my home back." There was a pause as Kakashi ducked under a branch. He didn't know why he'd said anything at all. It was nice to have company that wasn't a consistently-eager fox. 

"Your home?" Iruka asked after a moment of silence, shifting on Kakashi's shoulder to look at the back of Kakashi's head. 

The small flicker of hope that Kakashi had grew stronger. They were travelling through a forest together, heading towards a lord who may or may not accept the new information from the witness Kakashi was bringing. If his witness could sympathize with his cause, maybe he'd be more willing to speak with Lord Shiranui.

Which was why Kakashi felt comfortable enough to explain, "Yeah. Lord Shiranui ran the other creatures off their home and into mine. So, to get it back, I had to find the princess. Even though thieves stole it in the first place."

At that pointed comment, he felt Iruka stiffen on his shoulder. "Well, I'm not much of a thief. More like a scavenger, really."

"Kakashi…" Further back, Naruto was wobbling behind, one yawn after another. "Can we sleep? My brain feels like that stuff you find in the corner of your eyes when you wake up. Crunchy on the outside but squishy on the inside."

"Now, that's something I didn't need to hear." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"And there goes the talking fox," Iruka piped from over Kakashi's shoulder and the giant swung around to Iruka's surprise. 

Naruto was laying in the middle of the path, snoring already, and Kakashi sighed. Scooping the fox up in the crook of his arm, he set out to find a proper place to sleep for the night. Technically, there wasn't much night left at all. They'd walked for hours and the sun would rise in just a few more. 

"Okay, let's stop here for the night," Kakashi said as they stepped off the main path.

"What?" Iruka demanded when he was set down on the grass. "Here?"

Kakashi blinked in surprise by the sudden change of mood coming from their new travelling companion. "Uh, yes?"

"Is this your first time travelling anywhere?" Iruka asked sarcastically up at Kakashi. "This place is wide open. We could get jumped by bandits."

"Oh, so, friends of yours," Kakashi couldn't help but sass back which almost made Iruka smile.

"More like people who could kill us and eat us." 

Kakashi rolled his eyes. This was sounding like paranoia. "I know it's hard to see from where you're standing but I'm pretty scary, being a cyclops and all."

Then Iruka scoffed, rolling his eyes in a way that more than annoyed Kakashi. He then stepped up close to Kakashi in a way that was so slick and said with narrowed eyes and a sickly charming smile, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not that scary."

At that moment, Kakashi didn't know whether to be angry or turned on. Maybe it was Iruka's eyes or the way he'd said those words but… no one had ever said that to him. Usually, people were too busy running away. 

While Kakashi was too starstruck to respond, Iruka smirked, promptly spun away and walked off. Kakashi stood there for a moment. He was honestly just stunned that someone had the balls to say anything to him, let alone someone he was supposed to be keeping captive. 

It was surprisingly nice.

Kakashi finally snapped out of his surprise and hurried after Iruka. "Wait!"

When he couldn't find Iruka nearby, Kakashi started to panic.

"Iruka!" He called frantically but his run slowed to a stop.

"Why are you yelling?"

Iruka stood at the mouth of a cave across a small clearing, smirking at Kakashi’s heavy breathing. 

It was secluded, off the beaten path and seemed quite safe. A lot more safe than the spot by the road Kakashi had picked out, in fact. It was technically a lot better, Kakashi could admit that.

"Like it?" Iruka’s smirk never failed, his white tunic partially open and his short cape draped over the one shoulder. In the moonlight, Kakashi would have mistaken him for a nobleman of some sort. He held his head high, his shoulders open with confidence. His tall boots were scuffed but well kept. Everything about him screamed sharp and proud. 

It was quite appealing from where Kakashi stood.

As he took the short walk over, Iruka turned away with a flick of his cape. "See? Not far from the road but not out in the open. Much more safe."

"And I can keep an eye on you to make sure you don't run away again," Kakashi noted, nodding to the cave as he set the fox down in a patch of grass. 

"Wow, he's out like a light." Iruka chuckled as he sat and pulled the fox into his lap, seemingly unshaken by Kakashi's words which was a bit confusing for the cyclops.

As Kakashi started to put together a fire, he wondered why Iruka was so calm during all of this. He was being taken against his will to a place he didn't want to go.

When the fire was lit and burning hot, Kakashi looked across the fire to the handsome man who was happily petting Naruto’s snoring head and looking up at the stars. He seemed at peace. Kakashi only wished he felt that okay with himself, with the world. 

Dark chest, glossed by the fire, Iruka was actually much more handsome than Kakashi had thought to begin with. His serene smile was infectious and Kakashi had to shrug off the ease creeping in. He had to stay sharp. He didn’t know Iruka’s true intentions and had to keep an eye on this albeit handsome man. The pretty ones could never be trusted. 

Breaking the quiet between them, Kakashi clarified, “If you try and sneak away, I’ll tie you up.”

“Oh?” Iruka slowly looked down, a sly smirk crawling up his face. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been tied up.”

There was that tone again, the one Kakashi couldn’t understand. “Let’s try and keep it that way.”

And then Iruka smiled in a way that threw Kakashi off. It was too charming, too sultry but joking at the same time. “Aw, can’t we have a little fun? I am your prisoner, after all.”

“Fun?” Kakashi couldn’t help but ask. 

“Yeah.” As Iruka sat back, the tension faded and the mood switched again. “Before I kill you, of course.”

It was Kakashi’s turn to laugh. “Oh, you’re so scary.”

That was when Iruka lolled his head to the side, a glint in his eye. 

Kakashi ignored the slightly threatening aura coming off Iruka and huffed, “As if you could kill a cyclops.”

Iruka looked at him then, really stared and scoffed himself. “As if you could stop me.”

“I just took down a dragon. I’m pretty sure I can take you on,” Kakashi mused, ignoring the way Iruka was studying him.

“True,” was all Iruka said until Kakashi heard movement and found Iruka sitting up straight and alert. “You’re bleeding.”

“What?” Kakashi looked down at himself and realised that he was indeed bleeding from his shoulder, the one that wasn’t aching from carrying Iruka for hours. His whole body had been aching from the chaos they’d just been through and he hadn’t had time to notice that he’d been punctured in many spots along his shoulder joint. There were holes in his vest and underneath it blood staining his shirt, none of which he’d hadn’t noticed. Maybe it had been all the adrenaline.

“Let me take a look,” Iruka said as he got up and made his way to Iruka, concern etched into his face but Kakashi flinched away, taken aback and scared.

“Don’t,” he warned with every ounce of malice he had in him. It scared both of them, freezing them in place as they processed what was going on. 

Iruka recoiled, drawing back and the look on his face made Kakashi regret everything he’d just done. Iruka looked hurt. He pursed his lips and stepped away, passed where he’d set Naruto down and towards the cave.

“Good night then,” Iruka said over his shoulder and stepped into the depths of the cave, leaving Kakashi alone with Naruto’s snoring and his own guilt. 

As Kakashi sat there, tired and weary, the sun started to paint the sky red. As the fire died, Kakashi laid down in the remaining shadows and muttered, “Good morning.”

He woke up as the sun was setting again, crickets chirping in his ears as he sat up out of the grass. Naruto was already many feet away, exploring the shadows as they grew and he called to Kakashi happily, “Hey, you’re awake!”

“Hey,” Kakashi managed to say as he got up, stretching out his aching bones and shoulder. His eyes trailed to the cave and he couldn’t see Iruka where he was. Worry sparked. What if Iruka had snuck away while they slept? What if he was royally screwed again? What was he going to do if…?

“Good morning,” Iruka greeted as he stepped out of the cave, smile glowing as if he were the sun that had just set.

“Hey.” Kakashi straightened out, not knowing what to do with himself. He hadn’t forgotten how he’d snapped last night and knew that it was definitely going to push Iruka away just like everyone else.

“Well, which way is this noodle guy?” Iruka asked with a bright smile that took Kakashi by surprise again. He sauntered away from the cave entrance and looked up to Kakashi like nothing had happened.

“Uh.” Kakashi shifted awkwardly in place. Iruka was looking at him so sweetly. “Well, we’re heading that way.”

He pointed off towards the treeline, back they way they’d come a few days prior. 

“Well, let’s get going before the sun rises again,” Iruka declared, waving over to Naruto who bounced over and followed Iruka’s steps. Kakashi stepped in line, following as they walked through the woods, under the cover of night.

“So, I was sitting on a log, eating the ham. Suddenly, the butcher jumps out of the bushes and yells at me to put it down.” Naruto was telling another story, Iruka listening in carefully as they continued on down the path. “It was like he didn’t see my money at all!”

“Well, you were paying in seeds, Naruto,” Iruka reminded and the foxling just blinked up at Iruka.

“And?”

They broke out into laughs, Kakashi even laughed a bit from the back. 

That was when Iruka slowed down his trot to Kakashi’s slow pace. For a while, they walked together. Kakashi's long strides matching Iruka's quick steps. 

"So," Iruka began to Kakashi's surprise. "What's your home like?"

"My home?" Kakashi had to think about that a bit. He'd been gone for so long now. The longest in a while. "Home is… serene. A tree in the Magic Woods."

"A tree huh? Sounds about right." Iruka just smiled over at Kakashi and it confused him. Why was Iruka being so nice to him? Why was he talking to Kakashi like they were the same. They weren’t, no matter how connected Kakashi felt to this stranger. 

"Must be really nice," Iruka mused aloud. "To have a place to call home. A place you'd go on an insane quest for."

The silence stretched on between them as Kakashi wondered what Iruka's backstory was. As a thief, Kakashi didn't expect Iruka to have such a sedentary lifestyle. 

"Guess that's why Lord Noodle sent you instead of a knight."

At that, Kakashi looked down at Iruka's casual stroll and frowned. "Why's that?"

"Well, if he got a knight to do the job, he'd have to grant the knight a-"

"Land," Kakashi finished to both their surprise. 

"Yeah, a piece of land," Iruka said, curiously looking up at Kakashi. "How would a giant like yourself know that?"

"I think I read it somewhere," Kakashi said, trying to think back to which book he would've read it from back home.

As he pondered to himself, Iruka asked, "So…you're a giant who likes to read?"

"I'm a cyclops that likes to read," Kakashi said right back and Iruka frowned at him in a way that Kakashi didn't understand. Had he said something wrong?

Eventually, the look faded and Iruka instead asked, "So, what kind of stuff do you like to read?"

"Mostly tales. I've got this old thing." Kakashi pulled out the book he kept in his vest pocket and handed it over to Iruka who flipped through it.

"Wow. Taste for the classics, huh?" 

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know. They just… resonate with me."

When the quiet came back to greet them, Kakashi worked up the nerve to ask Iruka about the thing that had been worrying him, "So… would you really sneak off?"

Iruka looked up and his eyes said the same things his mouth said. "I don't know. This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

Why Kakashi’s heart stopped, he didn’t know but he did know it made him happy to see Iruka smile. Although, he had to immediately remind himself that Iruka was his prisoner… of sorts.

As the road stretched on ahead, they made polite conversation. Naruto even asked Kakashi to read another story as they walked but Kakashi didn’t feel comfortable doing that in front of Iruka. He felt too awkward and clumsy with his words. He was no smooth-talking thief.

Instead, they listened to Naruto talk and even agreed to play a game where Naruto thought of a food and they had to guess what it was.

“Is it ham?” Kakashi asked Naruto for the fifth time and the fox sputtered.

“Why is that the first thing you ask?” 

“Because it was ham the last three times.” 

Iruka was chuckling behind them and Naruto shook his head enthusiastically. “It’s not ham!”

“Chicken?” Iruka asked from the back. After a long pause, Iruka and Kakashi couldn’t stifle their laughter when Naruto refused to look at them, ears pulled back.

“You didn’t even ask for a hint,” He muttered sadly while Kakashi angled them off the beaten path, towards the spot they’d slept a few nights ago. Even though it felt like forever since they’d passed by, Kakashi knew the way to it.

“Okay, we’ll ask for a hint next time,” Kakashi said as he slowed them to a stop in a small patch of cleared earth in the heavily wooded area. Their circle of stones for the fire were still there from the last time and he eased himself down as the crickets chirped on. “But you have to think of different answers.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed. “Like, turkey?”

“Maybe we should open it up to just general things,” Kakashi suggested as he stretched his wear bones.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the camp ground, their new thieving friend was scanning their new home for the night and frowning. He didn’t say anything for a long time and Kakashi knew he was about to say something. When he did, it was frustrated and nervous. 

"I'm not sleeping here." 

Iruka shifted uncertainly at the edge of the brush while Kakashi set to making a fire, knowing it was going to be another argument like the night before. Naruto looked over and tilted his head in confusion.

"What's wrong with this place? We slept here just a few nights ago." Naruto did have a point. Kakashi even looked up from his task to get the full picture of how Iruka was acting. 

"It's too open," Iruka muttered, glancing back the way they'd come.

"Not with that bluff in the way," Naruto answered brightly and they both saw the way Iruka pursed his lips and how his eyes searched for his next response.

"There could be bandits."

"I'm a cyclops," Kakashi answered back. "I think we'll survive."

Iruka shifted on his feet and finally dropped down in front of the fire Kakashi was stoking, seemingly unhappy by all of this. Which was very curious to Kakashi. Naruto was too busy flattening out a bed of grass to care too much.

Eventually, they all settled in for the night and kept the fire going as the sky slowly grew brighter. It was odd how they suddenly all became nocturnal beings. Kakashi didn't really mind it. He could pretty much sleep wherever and whenever. So, taking the sleeping schedule of a bandit didn't bother him so much.

"How did you get in there?" Kakashi asked across the fire and Iruka looked up.

He shrugged slowly. "Good question. I kind of just ended up there."

Kakashi nodded, trying to find something else to ask that would get more of a response. He honestly just wanted to hear Iruka talk more, figure him out. 

"So, what happened to the princess?" He knew it wasn't the best question to ask when Iruka pursed his lips again and looked at the ground. 

"I was there for a while, didn't see her get saved but I know the dragon didn't get her." Iruka shrugged again and quickly asked, "Do you think he'll really give you your land back?"

Kakashi searched his own feelings and found his answer. "I don't know. Guess I'm hoping he does."

"What if he doesn't?" Iruka challenged, eyes running over Kakashi from his side of the fire. "What will you do then?"

Kakashi hadn't really thought that far ahead. "I don't know."

"I want to go on more adventures," Naruto answered as he trotted over to happily roll himself up next to Kakashi’s leg. His eyes shone as he went on, chatting, "This has been so much fun. So far, I'm rating this quest a four out of five."

"Four?" Iruka asked, quirking a brow up.

"Well, we didn't find a princess and we might not get Kakashi’s land back." The whole mood of the campfire dropped even further with that but Naruto said after a long silence, "But at least I got to meet new friends."

He then put his head down and almost immediately started snoring while Iruka and Kakashi looked at each other with a smile.

“You’re still bleeding, by the way,” Iruka pointed out and Kakashi touched his shoulder to find Iruka was right. Maybe that was why he felt so lightheaded at that moment. It most definitely was not the way Iruka was suddenly right beside him. How careful and light his hands were on Kakashi’s shoulder. Kakashi’s spin didn’t shiver when Iruka’s voice came from so close, “Let me help you.”

With a hard gulp, Kakashi nodded and tried to keep all the confusing feelings that were bubbling up at bay. “Okay.”

A few seconds later, Kakashi’s shirt was half off and Iruka was dabbing at the holes in his shoulder, the ones that Kakashi couldn’t feel. 

Now that Kakashi thought of it, he hadn’t payed attention to it at all. Even after Iruka had pointed it out the night before, it hadn’t crossed his mind.

"He's got a point," Iruka said so close to him with a sincere smile that made Kakashi’s chest tingle. 

And their eyes met again. It was like the first moment they met again, electric and sudden. Those beautiful, amber eyes were seeing him for his whole self. With that warm smile, Iruka quietly explained, "You're both pretty cool."

"You're pretty… swell too," Kakashi said back awkwardly with a shaky smile that felt way too awkward and Iruka's face lit up. Cheeks pink and smile contagious, they chuckled between each other for a moment and Kakashi couldn't help the fluttering feeling that was travelling through his whole body.

Iruka finally tied up a bandage around Kakashi’s shoulder. When he went back to his seat, Kakashi could finally think and breathe properly. 

"So, tell me more about your home," Iruka said as he palmed his chin, looking over at Kakashi who was still smiling shyly.

"Well, my home is a tree." Kakashi shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

"I get that, but like do you live in it? On it? What's the orientation on it?" Iruka joked but Kakashi couldn't muster a laugh. He was too busy trying to conjure up the image of his home in his mind. 

"I live in it," was all Kakashi could say with any ounce of certainty and Iruka just nodded.

"Cool," Iruka simply said and Kakashi could feel that connection fading.

So, he explained truthfully, "I can't remember too much about it right now. I feel like I've been gone for so long."

"Huh," Iruka huffed, intrigued. "I guess cyclops memories come with expiration dates."

"I think so," Kakashi faintly agreed. 

As he tried to go back further into his memory, Iruka seemed to read his mind, asking, "Do you forget things a lot?"

Kakashi nodded and Iruka hummed, studying Kakashi as he said, "Guess that makes sense. Cyclops are supposed to live for a long time."

"They are?" Kakashi asked and Iruka just looked at him.

"Do you know how old you are?" 

Kakashi shrugged and Iruka huffed again in surprise. "You don't know much about being a cyclops, huh?"

"Hard to know how to be one when I've been alone for as long as I can remember," Kakashi quipped back. "Have you seen one?"

"Heck, no. Do I look like someone who looks for trouble?" 

Kakashi looked from Iruka's boots up to his loose hair and the thief snapped, "The answer is no."

"I was going to say that."

"Sure, and you totally weren't just judging me." Iruka rolled his eyes, starting to stand as if to leave. 

"I wasn't judging you," Kakashi said honestly and Iruka looked over at him. "I was thinking that I don't know anything about you."

Iruka glanced down, not meeting Kakashi's line of sight for a long time before the tall humanoid hinted, "That I want to know more about you."

Caught in the same breadth of time, Iruka saw him again. This time, he simply said, "I'm no one."

He then pulled up the hood of his short cloak and went to lean on the same tree Kakashi’s was back up against. They were quiet again as the sun began to rise and sleep set in.

He couldn't see Iruka but he could feel the man there, keeping to himself. 

Eventually, sleep took him.

It almost lasted the whole night.

Kakashi woke back up with a jolt, the screech of a bird still ringing in his ears. Sitting up, he looked around to find nothing had changed. The trees were the same and the sun was flickering through the leaves. Naruto was flopped against his thigh.

Except, when he turned around, there was no red cloak in sight.

Kakashi stumbled to his feet and Naruto jolted awake.

“Huh?” What’s going on?” Naruto asked, half asleep until he saw what Kakashi was seeing. “He’s gone.”

“We have to find him,” Kakashi started to say until a scream cut through the air, scaring the both of them.

With a shared look of fear, they bolted in the direction of the road, towards the scream. 

Kakashi clutched the blade at his hip, the one from the dragon fight that he’d held onto. He’d forgotten it was there until now when his hand automatically went to it.

Up ahead, they could see movement on the main road and Kakashi led the way to where a band of humans were shuffling around in the dusty air. There seemed to be a struggle happening between seven or so dirty-looking men and a familiarly, red-cloaked human with a bag over their head.

“Iruka!” Naruto called, alerting everyone nearby that they were there. 

Everyone suddenly froze, staring up at Kakashi and his furry sidekick. There was fear in their eyes, Kakashi could see that. He could also see how worn and ragged the handful of bandits looked. 

As some readied weapons, one of them stepped forward and declared, “Back off, giant! This is our prey!”

“Giant?” Kakashi couldn’t help but ask aloud and one man near the front drew a longsword. Another held their dagger up to Iruka’s neck and Kakashi drew his blade without a second thought.

Before anyone could blink, he’d already swung and the nearest man’s longsword was suddenly turned into a shortsword. 

Everyone paused. Reality finally set in and some bandits scrambled back in fear before turning tail and running. 

“Cowards!” One of them yelled but he quickly joined the rest when he realized he was outnumbered.

The last man standing was the one staring at his sword, still posed as if to attack. 

Kakashi tapped the man’s sword with his own. It fell to the ground and they both stared at it before looking back up at each other.

“Sorry,” The bandit nodded respectfully before backing away quickly and running for the trees.

That left Kakashi and Naruto staring after them, half shocked that they’d ran so easily but also relieved they’d gotten away with any of that.

“You’re so cool,” Naruto gushed when they both found Iruka was still tied up, burlap bag over his head and unmoving.

Kakashi took the few steps forward and Iruka nervously flinched away from him. With a relieved chuckled, Kakashi pulled off the bag and began to ask, “Hey, are you-”

Words failed as dark eyes looked up at him, filled with tears and fear. Taken aback, it suddenly sank it that something here wasn’t right. The ruffled, silky locks were too long. The clothes sat loose and falling off the slimmer shoulders and hugged in the wrong places. It wasn’t Iruka’s face he was looking at even though it looked so familiar. 

They stared at each other, caught in fear and horror. 

“Sorry,” Kakashi quickly said, spinning around and walking away. Iruka was gone. He had to go looking for him.

“Kakashi,” The woman said quietly, voice trembling and breaking but too familiar to pass off as coincidence.

And then it all hit him at once, stopping him in his tracks. 

Kakashi carefully twisted back to face the tearful person who was looking up at him so expectantly, worried.

Taking a breath, Kakashi opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. He could see it now. He could see Iruka, the princess who stood before him. 

Somehow, they ended up back at their campsite. The sun was finally starting to set and the fire was keeping them warm. Iruka kept his cloak pulled in tight around him, hiding himself even though Kakashi couldn’t exactly look at him.

In truth, Kakashi didn’t know what to do or say. On one hand, everything made a lot more sense now. He was a bit annoyed with himself that he hadn’t figured it out before. Those bandits had made it clear that Iruka hadn’t ever been a thief. He was too clean, his cloak too rich in colour. 

The real question was what to do now. It was obvious by the way Iruka had kept his true identity a secret that he didn’t want to get saved by anyone. Kakashi didn’t feel comfortable forcing someone into marriage either. Which left him at an impasse.

“I’m sorry.”

Kakashi looked over at the human, confused by those small, quiet words.

Eventually, Iruka said, “I’m sorry I lied to you.”

Kakashi blinked. He hadn’t even though of it as lying. So, he said honestly, “You don’t have to be sorry.”

At those words, Iruka looked up at him with the breathless shock that Kakashi understood completely because he felt the same way in that moment. 

The cyclops pulled a small smile and Iruka looked back down with his own smile, relaxing into Kakashi’s company. 

“How long were you up there for?” Kakashi asked after a while, curiosity getting the better of him but Iruka didn’t seem to mind.

“Well, I kind of lost count but… ever since I was fifteen,” Iruka mused shrugging his narrower shoulders. Then he smirked a bit and looked over at Kakashi. “Guess that makes me forgetful too.” 

Stewing in the warmth of understanding, Kakashi couldn’t help but feel like he understood Iruka so much more now. Iruka was physically different and his whole backstory of being a thief had been proven to be a lie, but Kakashi knew more about Iruka than he ever had before.

There was just one thing Kakashi truly wanted to know, something that wouldn’t change his opinion of Iruka but something he wanted to learn more.

“So… do you prefer being like this?” Kakashi asked cautiously.

Iruka looked up at him, eyes starting to fill again with tears as he admitted, “No.”

And Kakashi felt that answer deep within him, knowing what it felt like to feel that his body was weird and wrong. It took him everything to not cry himself and he set out one of his large hands between them. Against all odds, Iruka slid his own small one into it and Kakashi whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Iruka smiled then, bright and full of tears as the sun set just below the horizon. 

In front of Kakashi’s eyes, bright became blinding and he flinched away as Iruka’s skin glowed from the inside out. Beaming like the sun, it melted away into sparkles of light. Once the glimmers of light faded out of existence, it revealed the real Iruka holding Kakashi’s hand. 

He was still warm, still himself and Kakashi grinned back when he saw Iruka’s face so much happier and confident. Realizing he was staring, Kakashi quickly looked away but that giddy fluttering of his heart stayed with Iruka’s hand still wrapped around his. 


	3. Who Fell In Love With A Cyclops

At the sound of something snapping in the woods, they shot apart. Naruto came trotting back from a search for foods with a branch of berries. Before he even put it down, he declared, “You know, everything makes a lot more sense now.”

“Yeah?” Iruka asked, his cheeks flushed as he stood and dusted himself off. Kakashi just sat there, willing his own burning face to cool off.

"Like, I've never heard of a story where the knight saves a princess just because she was stuck in a castle. There's always a catch," Naruto mused as Iruka ruffled the top of his head.

"True, it's not really creative."

"By the way," Naruto said through a chuckle as they all slowly got ready to head out again for the last leg of their journey. "I've got a whole bunch of creative answers for the guess-it game now."

"Oh, now you’ve got me excited,” Iruka said, happily following the fox back to the road. Before he stepped back into the trees, he looked back at Kakashi. Kakashi could have sworn there was something there in his eyes, the same feeling that was sparking in Kakashi’s chest and he had the fleeting hope that his gaze would never change. That this was real.

“Coming?” Iruka asked expectantly and Kakashi stepped forward, following after his friends and slowly realizing that his hopes were just that: hopes.

Because Iruka was more than just the nobleman he seemed to be.

He was a prince.

And Kakashi was just a lonely giant.

No, cyclops. He was a cyclops.

He shivered heavily and caught up to Iruka who gave him a comforting smile.

“Ready? Okay!” Naruto struck a pose on the trail ahead of them, daring grin as he asked, “What am I… thinking of?”

“Ham,” Kakashi quickly asked.

“Hah! It’s not ham! You’ll never guess it!” Naruto cackled to himself, happily bouncing away.

“He’s right, we’ve gotta be smart about this.” Iruka winked at Kakashi and the cyclops almost happily died.

He couldn’t help the smirk on his face as he followed along. “That’s right. Maybe we should go by categories. I’m thinking meats.”

“Right you are, Kakashi.”

“What would you suggest, Iruka?”

“Hmmm, I’m thinking chicken.” They both grinned at each other.

Naruto didn’t flinch though. He just kept trotting away happily and that left his travelling companions confused beyond reason. As they guessed and talked, Kakashi’s mind roamed back to the issue of what was going to happen once they got to their destination. The moments they were having were so friendly and warm that the ending they were about to face was bittersweet because Lord Shiranui’s land wasn’t too far.

There was a heavy question on Kakashi’s mind that he had to ask. His whole future depended on it. Truly.

Thankfully, Naruto was a great distraction. Even after a handful of hours walking, they couldn’t come up with a good guess despite the many hints Naruto had given them.

“So, it’s not a meat,” Iruka thought aloud.

“Or a vegetable,” Kakashi said, right there with Iruka as they passed through a rolling field of tall grass that stopped at Iruka’s hips and Kakashi’s lower thigh. “Although, I doubt he knows what a vegetable is.”

“Yeah, aren’t foxes carnivores?”

Kakashi shrugged. “I think I saw him eat a fruit once. That could’ve been an eyeball though. He likes to save the best for last apparently.”

Iruka shivered heavily in disgust. “How could someone so cute be so gross?”

“Hey… I think I see a cabin,” Kakashi said, looking out over the waves of grass.

Iruka followed his gaze and had to squint to find the structure Kakashi was talking about. “Oh, would you look at that?”

“What cabin?” Naruto hopped up, trying to see the cabin that he was too short to see.

Kakashi picked him up and held him up awkwardly. “That one.”

“Oh, nice.”

Upon closer inspection, it looked like a hunter’s cabin that hadn’t been used in years. Dust covered the table and chairs and there wasn’t a soul in sight. The fireplace had been cold for probably years but they managed to get a good one going as Naruto riffled through the contents of the wood cabin. It was in poking his head into a cabinet that he cooed in awe.

The adults in the room shared a look of confusion.

“Hey,” Naruto slyly started as he pulled his head out with a grin. “Do any of you know how to play instruments?”

While Kakashi frowned and had to remember what kinds of instruments there were, Iruka hurried to his feet with an excited glimmer in his eyes. “What did you find?”

“Well, it looks like a guitar but made wrong.” Naruto backed up for Iruka to pull out the wooden, string instrument that had been hidden away.

“It's a lute. I haven’t seen one of these in years,” Iruka said as eager nostalgia poured from every part of his being. He was already sitting on the edge of one of the wooden chairs, fiddling with the strings and plucking notes that sounded wrong.

Kakashi’s back crawled at the odd sounds. “Is it supposed to sound like that?”

“Of course not.” Iruka glanced up at Kakashi briefly with a smile before going back to the lute and turning the knobs at the top. After moments of listening and waiting, Naruto and Kakashi perked up when the notes played sounded more like music.

Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he'd heard an instrument. He didn't even know if he'd ever heard one, being so secluded. There was a tender part of his heart that hurt as Iruka kept on playing.

"How did you learn how to play?" Naruto muttered sleepily as he lounged by the fire.

For a second, Iruka seemed to not hear, wistfully staring at the lute as he played. Then he spoke, words heavy. "I had a friend who taught me. But my father found out and told me it wasn't ladylike."

The room went quiet again with that fact and the implications behind it. Eventually, Naruto fell asleep and the adults were left alone together.

"When did they send you up there?" Kakashi asked finally.

Iruka stopped playing and sighed. "As soon as I turned fifteen."

"Do you want to go back?" Kakashi asked and Iruka immediately chuckled.

"As I am now? Definitely not." Iruka's thoughts drifted and he mused aloud, "Maybe if the curse is broken."

"Tell me about it," Kakashi said, leaning towards Iruka. "Maybe I can help you break it."

At that suggestion, Iruka immediately turned a bright red, looking away from Kakashi shyly. It took Kakashi completely by surprise, confused by Iruka’s oddly charming reaction.

Iruka muttered something and Kakashi frowned. "What was that?"

"It's the first kiss, obviously," Iruka snapped in embarrassment and Kakashi got why the blushing was happening because his own cheeks were suddenly on fire.

"Ah," was all he could say. A first kiss wasn't so surprising upon second thought. He'd read so many stories with that premise. It was still a first to actually hear of a curse like that in person. A question came to mind when Kakashi wondered about the logistics, a worrisome one at that. "So, once that happens, will you be able to stay like this all the time?"

Kakashi didn't have to specify that he meant Iruka's body, the prince understood what he meant and the mood of the entire cabin shifted again. They both were seemingly on the same page when Iruka said softly, "I hope so."

They didn't speak about what would happen the next day. Kakashi was too afraid to ask what would happen the next morning because he knew he couldn't ask Iruka to give himself to a Lord who may or may not trap him in a body that wasn't his.

If it came down to it, Kakashi was going to let Iruka go in the morning. They would go their separate ways and Kakashi would have to make a new home somewhere else. He was no knight in shining armour but that was the least he could do.

Taking out the book from his pocket, Kakashi offered, "Want to read?"

"Read it to me," Iruka said against all of Kakashi’s expectations. When he blinked owlishly, Iruka blushed and smirked. "I like hearing you speak."

"As you wish," Kakashi whispered, flustered and somehow anxious from those words. He nervously flipped to any page and started to shakily read aloud, "The battle was won under the burning, setting sun of the royal kingdom. His majesty the king had taken the battle in swing to keep his people safe from the Dark One's sting."

As Kakashi read, Iruka laid out next to Naruto, listening to Kakashi's words as he went on with a faint smile gracing his ethereal features. Kakashi had to force himself to focus on the words he was reading.

"Of all the king's knights, it was the one dashed in white who could lead the charge against the Dark One's might. He fought bravely at his majesty's side and laid waste to the Dark One in a single stride. But his wounds ran too deep and the entire kingdom did weep for the king's loyal knights who was laid to sleep."

As he closed the book, he looked up to find the other sound asleep, piled together near the fire.

It was such a peaceful image; Naruto happily squished up against Iruka’s back and Iruka's head propped up on his arm with his cheek pressed up. It was a cute sight.

One that Kakashi wrote to memory. At least he could be able to look back at this time fondly and wonder what things could've been under different circumstances.

Settling into a corner, Kakashi fell asleep watching Iruka’s rising and falling side. For a moment, he hoped it would never end even though he knew deep down that it was impossible. He was a cyclops and Iruka was a prince.

Chest aching, he knew he'd miss Iruka when he was gone. Then he would be alone again; a lone cyclops in a tree.

He couldn't help but hate himself a bit more.

He was so tall and weird. His one good eye could see so clearly people's fearful faces and he just wanted to walk with his friends like a normal person.

But he wasn't a normal person, he reminded himself.

He was a monster.

Curling towards the wall, it took Kakashi a long time to fall asleep. When he did, the nightmares weren't helpful. He jolted awake when a sword almost went through his head and he was so grateful to find the sword he'd been dragging along still resting by the door.

The relief was short-lived though.

Naruto was sleeping by the dying embers of their fire.

Which was nice. He slept so soundly. Good for him.

The thing that wasn't so nice was the lack of human right next to him.

In fact, there was a complete lack of humans in the entire cabin and Kakashi found the outside of the cabin to be the exact same way.

Horrified was a feeling Kakashi was becoming more and more acquainted with and he sure as hell did not like it's company.

"Oh, no." He bit his lip and debated very quickly what to do next. There was only one thing to do. He had to go meet Lord Shiranui and explain the situation.

Or, at least, a situation.

"Oh no, what?" Naruto stood in the doorway, swaying.

"Have you seen Iruka?"

In a split second, Naruto spun around and spun back to Kakashi with wide eyes and his stance tense. "Oh, no is right."

The sun told them it was already long past noon. There were no tracks, no way to tell which way Iruka went but Kakashi knew that he should've expected this.

But this was Iruka.

Kakashi spun on his heel to stare through the forest, towards the field of wheat that bordered Lord Shiranui’s land as he touched his bandaged shoulder.

He didn't know Iruka all that well. It had only been three days ago that they'd met. Yet there was a part of Kakashi that believed Iruka wasn't just anyone. He wasn't a thief. He wasn't even a normal prince.

He was Iruka, the same Iruka who had shared a look with him a few nights ago. The one who had stared into his eyes and acknowledged him as a person. The same person that Kakashi's heart flipped for.

Maybe Iruka felt that same way.

The bandage on his shoulder felt like hope.

For once in his long, boring life, Kakashi declared, "I'm going to find him."

"Really?" Naruto perked up in excitement.

"Yeah." Before his confidence could wear out, he set forward through the trees, towards Lord Shiranui’s domain.

"Woo! New mission: save prince Iruka 2.0!"

"I don't think the first one is even over."

"Saving Prince Iruka: the sequel," Naruto chuckled as they hurried out of the wood and through the golden fields of wheat. "What if this just turns into like a multi-part series? Would we divide them into parts or phases?"

"Hopefully neither, please."

"I think phases sounds cool, in my honest opinion. Makes things feel fancy."

Naruto was a great distraction for Kakashi's worry.

* * *

Iruka was in a castle, following a very serene Lord Shiranui who turned out to be very polite and kind by the looks of it. Iruka was highly suspicious of his lordness, of course, and took every step carefully.

Because Iruka was about to do something bold. He wasn't going to just let all this happen without a fight because he was no damsel in distress.

"Ah, Lord Shiranui." Iruka smiled as sweetly as possible, trying to seem innocent and as non-threatening as possible which was not difficult when he was mostly curves and smooth skin. The cons of being a woman during the day were working in his favour.

Genma looked back with a smile that was soft and smouldering. The guards slowing as he did. "What’s on your mind, darling?"

As handsome as his lordship was, Iruka wasn't really into the charming types. His type was more… soft and tall, quiet but thoughtful. A man who Iruka was doing all this nonsense for.

It took everything in Iruka's power to not let his skin visibly crawl. "Well, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment about tonight."

They all kept walking, Lord Genma just raising a brow. "Sure. Tell me what's on your mind."

"Maybe we could speak alone?" Iruka's face was starting to burn, already uncomfortable that he was in his body. It didn’t help that Genma was being too nice, too flirty. Iruka hoped that he didn’t look like this when he flirted with Kakashi. Although, Iruka could admit that Lord Shiranui was a handsome man.

“Of course, let’s head to my office,” Genma said cordially, holding his arm out for the fifth time in twenty minutes as he expected Iruka to take it. When Iruka didn’t he quickly moved on with a shrug, seemingly unbothered.

It was suspicious how oddly calm he was about Iruka wanting to talk. Maybe he was prepared for Iruka to weasel his way out of this.

They stepped off the carpeted floor, knights dispersing into the castle as one posted itself outside the office Iruka and Genma stepped into.

When the door closed, Iruka watched with a tight chest as his host and currently, soon-to-be-husband leaned against his desk and smiled at Iruka. “So? What it is you wanted to talk about?”

“Well, I wanted to talk about our terms of marriage, actually,” Iruka smoothly began, starting to pace around the room. “I have a bit of a problem that I really can’t ignore before we go through any of this.”

“Oh? Like your curse?”

Half his face concealed by shadows, Genma smirked as his keen eyes flashed in satisfaction at Iruka’s surprise. Pursing his lips, Iruka knew that this might not end well.

* * *

“Why do you think he went to the castle?” Naruto was calling, running just behind Kakashi through the field of tall wheat stalks.

“I’m going to stop him from marrying Lord Noodle.” Kakashi had to impatiently slow his pace for Naruto to catch up.

“Really? Hah.” Naruto huffed half in exhaustion and half in disbelief. “Didn’t think you had it in you. How big is this field??”

Kakashi scooped Naruto up onto his shoulder and as the fox happily flopped there, he asked incredulously, “You saw me take down that dragon, right? I didn’t dream that?”

“Well, technically, I didn’t see that. I saw the castle collapse and a tiny black shape fly away.”

That made Kakashi stop in his tracks just as he got started.

“What?” He demanded, caught between this new information and stopping a wedding.

“What?” Naruto echoed innocently before smacking Kakashi’s shoulder. “Giddy up! We have a prince to save!”

Letting out a rough sigh, Kakashi held onto Naruto tight as he ran at full force towards the town that surrounded Lord Shiranui’s castle.

* * *

“Don’t look so surprised,” Genma chided, patting a tower of books on his desk. “You don’t think I would be so stupid as to send a knight to get you before I checked the facts, did you?”

Iruka held down his blush and smiled just as cattily back, stepping close enough to his lordship to see the golden strands in Genma’s otherwise umber hair. The man was very attractive even when he was being sneaky, Iruka could give him that. But Iruka could play that game too. “So what makes you think your kiss can break my curse?"

"I don't." With a chuckle at Iruka's raised brow, Genma leaned back and easily said, "If it was meant to be, then I've got myself a princess for a wife."

"If not?" Iruka’s guard was still up and he was right for keeping it there but not in the way he expected.

"If not? Well, we won't get married then." Genma shrugged and gave Iruka a warm smile. "I'm not going to marry someone who's destined to be with someone else. I mean, it's true love’s first kiss."

"And what if it is the first kiss? And I turn into my true self, a man. What will you do then?" Iruka smiled cattily.

At that, his lordship hissed. "Ah, good one. Yeah, definitely won't marry you then. Sorry, I'm just not into the male body. By the way, do you prefer him? They? Her?"

"Him," Iruka quickly cut in.

"Yes, see, it’s most likely impossible that we'll be meant to be." Genma’s eyes went from friendly to sneaky as he purred, "And I'd like a favour in return from saving you."

Iruka's eyes narrowed. "Why would you think I'd owe you anything?"

Genma chuckled. "I did send a knight, didn’t I? Wasn’t that the only way you could get out?"

So, he even knew about the curse specifics.

Wow, he did do a lot of research.

"What kind of favour?"

"To be determined, of course. Always good to have friends in high places. I'll send you on your merry way as if this encounter never happened and maybe one day I need some royal help. I'd like to be able to call upon a friend."

Iruka was beginning to feel more at ease with this proposal. "Fine then, let's get this over with.”

“Just one kiss,” Genma assured, pushing off his desk and sauntering over to where Iruka was standing strong although frustrated and nervous.

“Just one. And then you’ll let me go.” Iruka stuck out his hand before Genma could get closer and the Lord took his hand into his confident, steady grip.

“And I’ll let you go to find your true love’s kiss.” Genma smiled, slowly pulling in Iruka closer by the hand as Iruka couldn’t help but hope, wish that this wasn’t it. Hope that his true knight in shining armour was somewhere out there.

Hopefully, in the place Iruka had left them.

* * *

“How do we even get in there?” Naruto hissed, anxiously tippy-toeing behind Kakashi’s crawl.

The woman from the bakery opened the door then and Kakashi snatched Naruto by the mouth, zipping them around another corner.

“I’ll figure something out,” Kakashi hushed back as they zig-zagged through the streets of Whiteward, hoping to not been seen and be held back from getting to the castle. He had one goal and it didn’t include scaring humans and getting guards called on him. He definitely would’ve been able to take them all out but it still would’ve held him up. He had to get to the castle, get to Iruka and stop that wedding.

Iruka didn’t deserve to be married to someone he didn’t know or care about or be forced to kiss someone he didn’t want to. What if it turned Iruka into a princess forever?

Groaning to himself, Kakashi stared down the long, filled main street that led up to the castle and was the last leg of their journey.

“Oh, no, we are not doing that. That is immediate, horrible death waiting for us.”

Kakashi ignored Naruto’s warning.

He’d defeated a dragon. Maybe. He could take on a crowd of humans, he just as to go fast.

But in his first step out into the public, he tripped.

Catching himself, he knew he’d faltered too long. Eyes were boring into him as he stood up to see that all the people on the street, from nearest to all the way until the end, were looking over at him.

In a moment of horror, Kakashi knew that they were more scared of him than he was of them. It didn’t stop him from thinking of pitchforks and torches but it steeled his resolve. With a hand on the pommel of his sword, he stood up straight and strode forward with the intention of fighting everyone.

They didn’t fight him though. They didn’t even run. They stared in awe, looking up at him with big eyes and open mouths. From somewhere in the back, there was a clap and he snapped his head to find that it was just that. It wasn’t someone slapping a horse’s side to ride away.

It was a peasant boy standing on a wooden box. With a tooth missing and his mouth curled up into a smile, he was clapping.

Then another person joined in.

And another.

And more until Kakashi was walking through paths of people clapping.

For him.

But he was a cyclops, a creature who usually struck fear in the eyes of men. Yet, they were clapping for him.

Kakashi didn’t know why his chest was so full and bright, what emotion it was because it was tied in with another feeling that was much deeper. It kind of felt like nostalgia? And longing? It was so new and foreign to him that he couldn’t deal with it.

So, he channelled those feelings into his goal.

Strides lengthened until he was running, hurrying up to the gates of the castle that was already open as if waiting for him and he ran through to the surprise of the guards. They couldn’t stop him. He had his eyes focused on finding the marriage and stopping everything in its tracks, saving Iruka before he could…

Kakashi’s run sputtered to a stop in a grand dining room. Wait, he'd run through the main courtyard, the main hall and hadn't seen any signs of a wedding. Was he in the right building?

"Why, if it isn't my loyal knight?"

Kakashi spun to find Lord Shiranui leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and lips smirking. He was a lot shorter than Kakashi remembered. Well, technically, he wasn't looking down at Kakashi anymore.

"I'm surprised you actually came through on our deal. And fighting off a dragon no less. Very impressive," Genma commented as he passed Kakashi to sit at the head of the table.

"I'm stopping this wedding," Kakashi declared, not knowing how to go about breaking off an engagement.

Naruto patted his shoulder. "That was good. Now, ask him where Iruka is before we take this guy down."

"Where-" Kakashi frowned. "Wait, I'm not going to kill him."

"Kill him?"

"Why would I kill him?"

"Who said anything about killing him?"

Kakashi groaned and was about to ask where Iruka was when Genma’s laugh cut through their conversation.

"Oh, you two are truly a dynamic duo." He then looked up at Kakashi with a piercing gaze as he dared, "Go ahead, ask me."

"Where is he?" Kakashi demanded, resolve renewed.

"I'll tell you." There was a pause before Genma continued, "But first you have to answer me one question."

"Anything." Kakashi steeled himself. He would do anything Genma asked, fight anyone he had to.

And Genma could see that easily. "So, why do you want to stop this union?"

And that was the only question Kakashi wasn't prepared to answer because he didn't know how to answer it. He just had a feeling in his chest.

“Tell me and I’ll even give you back your land.” Genma smiled in satisfaction as he watched Kakashi's face burn and his stance grow weak.

"I… I didn't want him to do something he didn't want to," Kakashi mustered but Genma tutted.

"You and I both know that's not true."

A shiver ran through Kakashi's shoulders and Naruto was trying to see his flustered face. "Kakashi? What does he mean?"

The fox jumped down and suddenly Kakashi was put on the spot. Everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to explain himself but he clutched that feeling close. No, he couldn't say what he thought it was, that was too personal. The emotion was too real. It filled his whole body, reminding him of the first time he'd met Iruka. It was the same aching awe that from before and he shrunk into himself.

The words were then out there in the open. They were made real and that part of himself was suddenly all over him, covering his skin in goosebumps and clawing up his throat like the need to breathe, the need to find Iruka and be with him.

"What do you mean by think?" Naruto demanded. "You either do or you don't!"

"As if it were that simple, fox friend," Genma said knowingly as he stood from his chair, shoulders relaxed and his entire being unworried and unsurprised. With a pat to Kakashi’s arm, the Lord headed out of the room. "Go find your prince charming."

"Where?" Kakashi called after him and Lord Shiranui smiled softly.

"Your guess would be better than mine."

A few minutes later, they stood outside of the town walls with no clue what to do next and no idea of where to even start. All they had was the moon above telling them that it was well into the night.

They had no leads on finding Iruka. They just knew he was somewhere out there. Maybe he'd headed off to another village, following where the road took him. Maybe he wandered off into the woods to become a legend in their minds. Whatever the case was, Kakashi still had a small hope that their paths would cross. One day.

"What are you doing?" Naruto demanded as Kakashi slumped against a tree.

"Taking a break," Kakashi muttered with a tired sigh.

"Kakashi! You're just going to give up? After all that?" Naruto frowned as much as a fox could and he flopped down next to Kakashi in disappointment. "And I thought you'd be the knight in shining armour of this story."

With a wrinkle in his heart, Kakashi suddenly stood up. Naruto was right. He was giving up when there was still hope. He had to hope that this feeling in his chest wasn’t only felt by him. Even if he was a cyclops.

Without thinking, he stalked into the woods with the mutterings, "I am."

"Kakashi! Wait for me!"

When he got to the small hunter’s cabin that they'd slept in that day, Kakashi had lost Naruto far behind him somewhere and the night was still around him. The wheat rustled with the night wind and moonlight made everything glow cooly. The sun would rise in a few hours and everything would be spilling with gold but for now, it was silver and patient.

For the sounds around him only hit his ears once he had slowed to a stop at the cabin. The sounds of crickets only kicked in once he found the front empty and the cabin dark. And what stopped him from going inside was a call to his heart.

The whisperings of a stringed instrument hit his ears and he turned to them, following their music back into the trees. Passed one tree and through a brush, the cool lighting of fireflies drifting in and out of the air led him to the sight and sound of a prince sitting against a tree with his lute and a hum on his lips.

It was the picture of beauty and Kakashi could stand there forever, watching as Iruka quietly sung to himself and his fingers danced effortlessly across the strings. Kakashi was no longer in control of himself. The beating of his heart started to burn, squeezing in his chest. It sent chills down his spine that moved his legs, pushing him closer.

Iruka looked up at his approach, standing in defence until he saw it was Kakashi and his lips pulled up into a bright smile.

Before he could even utter Kakashi’s name, the cyclops was taking his face in his hands and pulling them together.

Their lips met in a soft and careful kiss that made the world fade away. There were no trees, no fireflies but the sparks between them were electric. It was as if they weren’t a prince and a cyclops. They were two people connected by their hearts and bodies and Kakashi couldn’t see anything else. He didn’t see the way Iruka’s whole body slipped into golden sparks that billowed out in strands of light because his eyes were already filled with stars. He couldn’t feel Iruka’s magical essence drip off of him as the prince’s body floated up into the air because he already felt upside down. When the sparks dissipated and Iruka’s feet touched the floor, they finally pulled back with empty lungs and flushed cheeks.

Blinking owlishly at each other, they pulled back slowly as Kakashi realized what he’d done. Quickly pulling his hands to himself, he coughed and backed away, saying, “I’m so sorry, I just…”

Iruka slowly looked down as his hands and body, realizing what had happened. Kakashi just continued on, “I was thinking about how you shouldn’t be worried about not being who you are and I know I don’t know all the parameters of your curse but since Lord Shiranui didn’t break it, I wanted to at least do that for you…”

As he trailed off, Iruka looked up at him in confusion.

“Your first kiss,” Kakashi muttered to himself, face burning as he scratched the back of his neck and Iruka realized he hadn’t been clear, that Kakashi thought his curse was broken because he thought it had been Iruka’s first kiss.

Iruka remembered what Genma had said to him after they’d kissed, smiling as Iruka headed out of the palace, “Now, go find him.”

“Knight in shining armour,” Iruka muttered to himself amongst the trees, lips still tingling from Kakashi’s lips on his and his body on fire. True love’s first kiss.

“Iruka!” A call in the distance distracted them. They glanced at each other and hurried back towards the cabin, Iruka grabbing his lute along the way.

“Hey, kiddo,” Iruka called as they found Naruto’s panting body flopped on the cabin’s doorsteps.

He perked up and ran over to them with the happiest of grins. “Iruka!”

He turned a stink eye on Kakashi. “You left me behind!”

“Sorry, I got carried away,” Kakashi said casually as they headed back into the cabin.

“So, did Noodleman break the curse?”

Iruka glanced up at Kakashi to find the cyclops blushing again and Naruto’s eyes narrowed.

Then a smirk spread across his lips. “Oh, okay, I see. You know, I once knew a princess who turned into an ogre.”

“Oh? You did?” Kakashi asked, knowing this would send them into a long conversation that wasn’t as embarrassing as the one they just avoided.

“Yup, she was actually stuck in a tower too. They fell in love over their journey back but their Lord was horrible and thought it could still work out but, like, you have to assume by now that whoever saves a princess will automatically be their true love.” They were already inside by the time Naruto ended his story and they all fell into dreams after their long, busy day.

Not before Iruka and Kakashi shared another look, warm and happy even though Kakashi still didn’t know that they were meant to be. Iruka didn’t know how to tell him that they were destined, about how Iruka truly felt. It was all so real suddenly and he contented himself with the fact that Kakashi felt the same way.

The next morning, Iruka woke before the sun came up. He snuck out into the early day and stood out by the field, looking over the tall grass as the sun started to rise above the horizon. And for the first time in his entire life, his real face touched the sunlight. It burned his eyes and he looked down at himself through the flares of light as his body stayed the same. For the first time, he was seeing his real body in the daylight and he was on the edge of tears.

He heard the footsteps coming up behind him, slow and heavy. Kakashi didn’t say anything, he just stared across the grass with Iruka as a supportive presence and Iruka say softly into the wind, “Thank you.”

It meant more than anyone else would know, more than Kakashi would know because it wasn’t just a thank you for being there. It was a thank you for taking him away from that castle he’d been stuck in. It was a thank you for coming after him. It was a thank you for breaking his curse.

But most of all, it was a thank you for being himself, being Kakashi.

It was Iruka’s confession of love in two words.

And sitting on a tree in the distance, a tiny, black-winged lizard took to the air and zipped back through the trees, but not in the direction of its fallen castle.

A few hours into the day, Naruto joined them in the daylight and he eagerly looked to them and asked, “So, where to next?”

“Well,” Kakashi started, looking out across the fields. “I do have a home we could head to.”

Iruka grinned at the idea of seeing Kakashi’s home and he looked to Naruto, “What do you think?”

Naruto hopped onto a rock with a bright, excited smile. “Lead the way, big guy!”

Kakashi shifted his belt in preparation for the new journey ahead and started in one direction.

But as he walked, his friends behind, he felt like something was wrong.

Because something was wrong.

Which way was home?

“Kakashi?” His friends asked.

Kakashi was stuck, unable to move. He’d been through his field many times now. He knew these woods. He muttered faintly, “I can’t remember…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyy so uh.... Aha, I might have another fic planneddd... Haaaaah  
> Anyway, thank you all for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed~   
> Please remember to be kind to other writers and readers.  
> A dear friend of mine got a comment that was in no way critical or helpful.  
> It was hate-driven by someone who wanted to hurt my friend without ever reading their story.  
> I will not stand for readers hurting writers for doing what they love and you shouldn't either.  
> With so much hate in the world, why contribute? DL,DR  
> <3 spread love, not hate <3


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